Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: iadt1kr@prism.gatech.edu (J. Kenneth Riviere (JoKeR)) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: A pastoral letter to the members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Message-ID: Date: 25 Jun 91 06:39:09 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 45 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article math1h3@JANE.UH.EDU (David H. Wagner) writes: >Christians should not practice fellowship >with those who teach false doctrine. See in particular Romans 16:17-18, > >What should we judge to be 'false doctrine?' We can't just base this >on a difference of opinion. However if something is clearly taught in >Scripture, and someone teaches contrary doctrine, and we admonish them, >yet they persist and do not repent, then we cannot practice fellowship >with them. > >An example I might use has to do with the Real Presence of Christ's body >and blood in the Lord's Supper. This is clearly taught in Scripture, for >Christ said 'This is my body' and 'This is my blood.' If you believe that all direct statements in the bible must be interepreted literally then you must, of course, believe literally that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. If you allow that the creation story as recorded in Genesis is allegorical then how do you distinguish between texts which should be interpreted literally and which should be used as inspirational material which should not be interpreted literally? As for your specific example of transubstantiation, are you saying that Jesus literally tore pieces from his still-living body at the last supper and fed them to the disciples? How is saying that the bread is the body of Christ different from saying that the Church is the body of Christ? (At least, if I'm recalling my Westminster Confession even approximately it asks "who is the head of the Church?" and the proper answer is "Jesus Christ is the head of the Church." Further, somewhere in there it states that the Church is the body of Christ on Earth, or something similar. While the WC is not scripture it is based on careful study of scripture and the words were quite carefully chosen. I am composing this response without ready access to reference sources and so am no doubt leaving myself open to thorough denunciation, but when adament positions are taken based upon "clear" statements which are not open to interpretation, especially when such positions lead to arguments for denouncing other believers (not practicing fellowship with ...) then I get frustrated with the arrogance of those who believe they have found "the Truth" which they claim others have gotten all wrong.) -- J. Kenneth Riviere (JoKeR) Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!iadt1kr ARPA: iadt1kr@prism.gatech.edu